significant oth·er
Function: n
definition: a person who is important to one's well-being
THIS MORNING I FOUND MYSELF IN A ROOM FULL OF DOCTOR'S WIVES, ATTENDING A WELCOME COFFEE AND BAGEL BREAKFAST FOR CLEVELAND CLINIC'S NEWEST BATCH OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS. WE HAD ARRIVED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. RECENT TRANSPLANTS FROM CITIES WHOSE HOSPITALS TRAINED OUR SPOUSES. WOMEN IN SEARCH OF COMPANIONSHIP AS WE RAISE OUR CHILDREN, SET UP OUR HOMES, AND NAVIGATE LIFE IN A NEW CITY.
Function: n
definition: a person who is important to one's well-being
THIS MORNING I FOUND MYSELF IN A ROOM FULL OF DOCTOR'S WIVES, ATTENDING A WELCOME COFFEE AND BAGEL BREAKFAST FOR CLEVELAND CLINIC'S NEWEST BATCH OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS. WE HAD ARRIVED FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. RECENT TRANSPLANTS FROM CITIES WHOSE HOSPITALS TRAINED OUR SPOUSES. WOMEN IN SEARCH OF COMPANIONSHIP AS WE RAISE OUR CHILDREN, SET UP OUR HOMES, AND NAVIGATE LIFE IN A NEW CITY.
WOMEN SEEKING ANSWERS TO LIFE'S IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
"WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO GET A GOOD CUT AND COLOR?"
"WHICH BAKERY SERVES UP THE SWEETEST DONUTS?"
"HOW FAR DO I HAVE TO DRIVE TO FIND A STARBUCKS WITH A DRIVE-THRU WINDOW?"
"ARE THERE ANY US BANKS IN THE AREA WITH TELLER WINDOWS?"
"WHICH PARKS ARE THE CLEANEST, SAFEST, AND HAVE EQUIPMENT APPROPRIATE FOR A 20 MONTH OLD?"
"WHO DO YOU CALL TO FIND A QUALIFIED AND NURTURING BABYSITTER?"
AND WHILE YOU'RE AT IT...
"WHAT IS THE BEST RESTAURANT IN TOWN FOR THE EVER IMPORTANT DATE NIGHT?"
AS I LISTENED TO EACH WOMAN ANSWER THE FOLLOWING BARRAGE OF QUESTIONS: NAME? CHILDREN? HUSBAND'S SPECIALTY? PREVIOUS CITY? LENGTH OF TIME IN CLEVELAND? FAVORITE THING ABOUT CLEVELAND? I BECAME CAPTIVATED BY EACH WOMAN'S RESPONSE, RECOGNIZING THE UNIQUE SITUATION WE WERE ALL IN.
WE AS WIVES DID NOT CHOOSE CLEVELAND, REFERRED TO BY LOCALS AS "THE MISTAKE BY THE LAKE" (I kid you not. Google "mistake by the lake" and see what pops up. Better yet, click on this link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistake_by_the_Lake) ABOVE ALL OTHER U.S. CITIES TO CALL HOME. BUT, WE DID CHOOSE TO FOLLOW OUR HUSBANDS HERE CREATING A SMALL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HIM TO RELY ON, A HOME FOR HIM TO FIND REFUGE IN, AND A LOVING ENVIRONMENT TO RETURN HOME TO EACH NIGHT.
***
WHEN I SAID, "I DO" TO JEFF SEVEN YEARS AGO, PROMISING HIM MY FOREVER, I KNEW HE WOULD ONE DAY BECOME A DOCTOR. WHAT I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THEN, WAS WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO BECOME A DOCTOR'S WIFE. LEST, YOU THINK I DEEM MY POSITION AS MRS. MD MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING THE WIFE OF A BANKER, EDUCATOR, PASTOR OR ANY OTHER PROFESSION, I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT. TO BE A WIFE IS ONE OF LIFE'S HIGHEST CALLINGS. PERIOD. WHAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IS THAT I MUST TAILOR MY ATTITUDE AS JEFF'S WIFE TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMANDS OF HIS PROFESSION, THE FEARS HE MIGHT FACE, THE PRESSURES HE MUST ENDURE, THE DOUBTS THAT CLOUD HIS THINKING, THE TRIUMPHS THAT ENCOURAGE HIM, THE PACE OF HIS DAY, THE ENDLESS STUDYING, HIS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, IN ADDITION TO HIS DESIRE TO BE A GODLY HUSBAND AND FATHER. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE A GOOD WIFE. I MUST ALIGN MYSELF COMPLETELY WITH ALL JEFF NEEDS TO FEEL SECURELY LOVED, ESTEEMED, RESPECTED, APPRECIATED, AND THOUGHT OF ON A DAILY BASIS.
WHAT MAKES THIS JOB SIGNIFICANT IS THAT WE HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR SPOUSES SUCCEED. A SIGNIFICANTLY OVERWHELMING TASK, INDEED. BUT, HOW SWEETLY SATISFYING.
WE AS WIVES DID NOT CHOOSE CLEVELAND, REFERRED TO BY LOCALS AS "THE MISTAKE BY THE LAKE" (I kid you not. Google "mistake by the lake" and see what pops up. Better yet, click on this link - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mistake_by_the_Lake) ABOVE ALL OTHER U.S. CITIES TO CALL HOME. BUT, WE DID CHOOSE TO FOLLOW OUR HUSBANDS HERE CREATING A SMALL SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR HIM TO RELY ON, A HOME FOR HIM TO FIND REFUGE IN, AND A LOVING ENVIRONMENT TO RETURN HOME TO EACH NIGHT.
***
WHEN I SAID, "I DO" TO JEFF SEVEN YEARS AGO, PROMISING HIM MY FOREVER, I KNEW HE WOULD ONE DAY BECOME A DOCTOR. WHAT I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THEN, WAS WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO BECOME A DOCTOR'S WIFE. LEST, YOU THINK I DEEM MY POSITION AS MRS. MD MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING THE WIFE OF A BANKER, EDUCATOR, PASTOR OR ANY OTHER PROFESSION, I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT. TO BE A WIFE IS ONE OF LIFE'S HIGHEST CALLINGS. PERIOD. WHAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IS THAT I MUST TAILOR MY ATTITUDE AS JEFF'S WIFE TO ACCOMMODATE THE DEMANDS OF HIS PROFESSION, THE FEARS HE MIGHT FACE, THE PRESSURES HE MUST ENDURE, THE DOUBTS THAT CLOUD HIS THINKING, THE TRIUMPHS THAT ENCOURAGE HIM, THE PACE OF HIS DAY, THE ENDLESS STUDYING, HIS PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE, IN ADDITION TO HIS DESIRE TO BE A GODLY HUSBAND AND FATHER. IT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO BE A GOOD WIFE. I MUST ALIGN MYSELF COMPLETELY WITH ALL JEFF NEEDS TO FEEL SECURELY LOVED, ESTEEMED, RESPECTED, APPRECIATED, AND THOUGHT OF ON A DAILY BASIS.
WHAT MAKES THIS JOB SIGNIFICANT IS THAT WE HAVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OUR SPOUSES SUCCEED. A SIGNIFICANTLY OVERWHELMING TASK, INDEED. BUT, HOW SWEETLY SATISFYING.
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